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The Latest Breaking News from Nick Bostrom

Is the whole universe just a simulation?

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

The Conversation

‘Simulation theory’ brings an AI twist out of ‘The Matrix’ to ideas mystics and religious scholars have voiced for centuries

In the most talked-about film from the final year of the 20th century, “The Matrix,” a computer hacker named Neo finds that the world he lives and works in isn’t real. It’s a virtual reality, created by artificial intelligence.

The Conversation

Slaying the dragon of death: Silicon Valley’s race for immortality

Biohacking, super AI, sending our brains to Jupiter — can any of it conquer death, asks Aleks Krotoski

Evening Standard

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
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Will AI wipe us out or drastically improve society? Elon Musk and Bill Gates' favourite philosopher explains

Nick Bostrom, Silicon valley’s favourite philosopher, explains why AI taking jobs should be the least of our worries

Evening Standard

Artificial superintelligence (ASI): Sci-fi nonsense or genuine threat to humanity?

Our current AI systems may one day evolve into a superintelligent entity, but scientists aren't yet certain what this might look like and what the implications are.

LiveScience

They wanted to save us from a dark AI future. Then six people were killed

How a group of Silicon Valley math prodigies, AI researchers and internet burnouts descended into an alleged violent cult

The Guardian - US

‘AI Jesus’ takes confessions at Swiss church

Some churchgoers describe a spiritual experience within the confessional booth, though others labelled it a gimmick

The Independent UK

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‘Man vs machine’ race shows AI is not about to overtake humans – but it’s catching up

World’s first autonomous racing league A2RL demonstrates the phenomenal progress driverless technology has recently made, writes Anthony Cuthbertson from Japan, with one team saying it will match the best human racers ‘in one year’

The Independent UK

What is AI superintelligence? Could it destroy humanity? And is it really almost here?

In 2014, the British philosopher Nick Bostrom published a book about the future of artificial intelligence (AI) with the ominous title Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. It proved highly influential in promoting the idea that advanced AI systems – “superintelligences” more capable than humans – might one day take over the…

The Conversation

How’s this for a bombshell – the US must make AI its next Manhattan Project

A new essay on the rise of superintelligent machines pivots from being a warning to humanity to a rallying cry for an industrial complex to bolster American military defence

The Guardian - UK

‘Eugenics on steroids’: the toxic and contested legacy of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute

Founded in 2005 and lauded by Silicon Valley, the Nick Bostrom’s centre for studying existential risk warned about AI but also gave rise to cultish ideas such as effective altruism

The Guardian - UK

Oxford shuts down institute run by Elon Musk-backed philosopher

Nick Bostrom’s Future of Humanity Institute closed this week in what Swedish-born philosopher says was ‘death by bureaucracy’

The Guardian - US

The Handover by David Runciman review – is the future out of our control?

Surveying everything from hunter gatherers to Elon Musk, the Cambridge politics professor debates whether our fate is sealed by the machines we’ve created

The Guardian - UK

AI, the tech elite and "extinction"

When leading figures in AI talk about "extinction," they're not really concerned with the fate of actual humans

Salon

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Tom’s Hardware

US Military Drone AI Simulation Reportedly Turned on Its Human Operator

A military drone AI simulation reportedly resulted in the AI opting to eliminate its human operator or attack communications towers so it could continue its mission unimpeded.

The Guardian - UK

Longtermism: how good intentions and the rich created a dangerous creed

Tech billionaires seem intent on giving away a lot of money. But are those who support ‘longtermism’ and ‘effective altruism’ ignoring the very real problems of today?

Salon

Sam Bankman-Fried and "longtermism"

I'm not surprised that longtermism led to fraud, corruption and disaster. I'm mostly surprised it wasn't worse

Los Angeles Times

Jean Guerrero: I once fell for the fantasy of uploading ourselves. It's a dangerous myth

The fantasy began to consume me at the turn of the millennium.

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Salon

"Longtermism" is everywhere — and toxic

Whatever we may "owe the future," it isn't a bizarre and dangerous ideology fueled by eugenics and capitalism

The Guardian - UK

The big idea: are we living in a simulation?

Could the universe be an elaborate game constructed by bored aliens?

Salon

Elon Musk's bizarre vision of the future

Musk is sweet on "longtermism," a vision of deep-future human happiness that's even crazier than you think

Salon

Elon Musk sees our future in the stars

Musk wants to save humanity — for a future where we "live" by the trillions inside Matrix-style cosmic simulations

People

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